Influence isn’t a channel anymore. It’s the culture running through every scroll, search and conversation. From TikTok trends to the AI systems that learn from what creators say and audiences share, influence now defines how people discover, connect and decide.
At Cure Media, we’ve tracked the movements of culture, creators and consumers for over a decade. One thing is clear: 2026 isn’t about new platforms or gimmicks. It’s about how culture itself has become the medium.
Here are five cultural shifts shaping marketing in 2026 and what they mean for brands ready to lead instead of follow.
TREND #1: FROM CHANNELS TO CULTURE: THE SOCIAL-FIRST ERA HAS MATURED
2025 was about becoming social-first. 2026 is about being culture-first.
Social media isn’t just where marketing happens; it’s where meaning is made. Campaigns now start in comment sections and end up on billboards. Creator-led ideas no longer sit in the influencer corner of advertising – they define it. And the brands still treating creators like amplification channels are already losing ground.
At Cannes Lions 2025, the “Social & Influencer Lions” category was renamed “Social & Creator Lions.” Creators aren’t add-ons anymore. They’re the engine of modern advertising.
The campaign Vaseline Verified proved it. The brand entered TikTok’s viral skincare world by having its scientists test popular “hacks” in the lab. The good ones got a Verified stamp; the bad ones were publicly debunked. What began as creator chatter turned into a Grand Prix-winning global campaign.
The question isn’t whether your brand is on social. It’s whether your brand is built for it.
TREND #2: MOMENTUM MARKETING: WINNING THE NOW
Culture used to move in seasons. Now it moves in seconds.
Brands can’t think in quarters when consumers scroll in minutes. The next wave belongs to those who master momentum: reading social signals fast, reacting in real time, and letting creators act as cultural sensors.
A perfect example is Pantene’s “Unexpired” campaign. When TikTok creator Alix Earle jokingly showed an old Pantene bottle and said her hair still looked amazing, the brand turned the moment into a full-funnel idea celebrating Pantene’s timelessness: “Still fresh. Still relevant. Unexpired.”
It wasn’t reactive. It was opportunistic, strategic – and fast.
The smartest brands design for agility. They combine social listening with creator insights to build frameworks that make spontaneity scalable. In the attention economy, timing isn’t everything – it’s the only thing.
TREND #3: EMOTIONAL MULTIPLIER: WHY FEELINGS SCALE FASTER THAN DATA
For years, creator marketing has been obsessed with metrics such as reach, engagement and conversions. In 2026 those metrics are still essential but they are no longer enough.
The next competitive edge comes from understanding what the numbers cannot show: how a creator makes people feel. While data predicts performance, emotion determines memory, and memory drives preference.
Think of it as The Emotional Multiplier, the hidden force that makes some creator collaborations linger long after the scroll. It is the reason a single genuine story can outperform an entire paid campaign. When creators tap into nostalgia, humour, vulnerability or inspiration, every other metric is amplified: trust, recall and even purchase intent.
We have seen it repeatedly. When a beauty creator opens up about confidence instead of just showing a product, it builds brand equity that no conversion ad can replicate. When designer Gustaf Westman partners with IKEA to create the iconic meatball plate, it is not just content; it taps into cultural emotion shared across millions.
This does not mean abandoning data. It means combining precision with empathy, finding creators whose storytelling creates both performance and presence. The strongest brands now measure beyond engagement, looking at emotional impact and cultural relevance as new KPIs for success.
Because in 2026 the most powerful campaigns will not just be optimised for reach. They will be remembered for how they made people feel.
TREND #4: THE SOUND OF INFLUENCE: WHY SONIC BRANDING IS THE NEXT FRONTIER
In 2026, branding will be heard before it’s seen.
Short-form video, ASMR storytelling, and platform-specific sound trends have made audio identity the new visual code. Just as logos and colors once defined brand recognition, sound now builds emotional memory.
Creators are leading this shift and shaping this new soundscape Think Nara Smith’s jazz-infused ASMR voiceovers, instantly recognisable and endlessly imitated. Or Coca-Cola’s “Coke SoundZ,” which turned the brand’s fizz and ice clink into an AI-powered tool for TikTok creators to remix.
Sonic branding isn’t about jingles anymore. It’s about crafting a recognisable mood across TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts and podcasts.
If visuals build recognition, sound builds memory.
TREND #5: FROM FOLLOWERS TO COMMUNITIES: CONNECTION IS THE NEW CURRENCY
The feed is fragmenting, and people crave belonging more than broadcasting.
The future isn’t about collecting followers. It’s about nurturing communities. Offline meetups, creator-led events and niche platforms are redefining what engagement means.
A great example is Strava × Runna. What began as a fitness-tracking platform evolved into a movement where people train, share, and grow together. Some even call Strava a dating app – a place to meet over miles, not matches. It’s proof that when brands facilitate connections instead of attention, loyalty becomes organic.
The strongest brands in 2026 won’t just build audiences. They’ll tap into communities and create spaces where participation can thrive.
THE TAKEAWAY
We’ve entered a new era where culture, creativity and technology move as one – and creators sit at the centre of all three.
Influence shapes not only what people talk about, but what algorithms learn, what products are made, and how brands are remembered.
The brands that win 2026 won’t chase culture – they’ll participate in it.
FAQ: MARKETING TRENDS & THE CREATOR ECONOMY IN 2026
1. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2026?
Some of the most defining marketing trends for 2026 include culture-first brand building, momentum marketing, emotion-driven creator partnerships, sonic branding and the shift from followers to communities. These emerging shifts are reshaping how brands show up, scale and stay relevant in the creator economy.
2. WHAT IS MOMENTUM MARKETING?
Momentum marketing is a strategy where brands respond to cultural signals in real time — often led by creators. Instead of long planning cycles, brands use social listening, creator insights and agile frameworks to act at the speed of culture.
3. WHY IS EMOTIONAL STORYTELLING IMPORTANT IN CREATOR MARKETING?
Emotion drives memory, and memory shapes preference. When creators evoke feelings like nostalgia, humour or vulnerability, campaign performance increases across trust, recall and purchase intent — a dynamic often referred to as the Emotional Multiplier.
4. WHAT IS SONIC BRANDING AND WHY IS IT RELEVANT IN 2026?
Sonic branding is a brand’s audio identity — from signature sounds to creator-driven audio cues. As short-form video and ASMR trends grow, sound becomes a core driver of recognition and emotional connection across TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts.
5. HOW ARE COMMUNITIES RESHAPING THE CREATOR ECONOMY?
People trust communities more than traditional audiences. In 2026, brands succeed not by collecting followers, but by tapping into or building communities where people participate, share and connect — both online and offline.
6. WHY ARE CREATOR-LED IDEAS BECOMING CENTRAL TO BRAND STRATEGY?
Creators shape cultural relevance. They are closer to consumer behaviour than traditional media, and platforms increasingly reward creator-driven formats. As a result, creator insights now influence not only social campaigns but full-funnel strategy, product development and brand positioning.
7. HOW CAN BRANDS PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE OF CREATOR MARKETING?
By becoming culture-first. That means investing in long-term creator partnerships, building agile systems that support real-time creativity, prioritising emotional storytelling and designing brand assets — including sound — that travel across platforms and communities.